Scope and Contents

The Cristero Rebellion Martyrs postcard collection includes 41 black and white silver gelatin postcards and photographs of Cristero Rebellion (1926-1929) martyrs. Many of the images in the collection are 3x5, portrait-style postcards of individuals executed under authority of Mexican president Plutarco Elías Calles. Members of pro-Catholic groups such as the Liga Nacional Defensora de la Libertad Religiosa, the Asociación Católica de la Juventud Mexicana (ACJM), and the Unión Popular (UP) sponsored production of such postcards along with pamphlets and other propaganda designed to commemorate and publicize the devotion and deaths of Cristero activists. The collection includes postcards depicting Father Miguel Pro (beatified 25 September 1988), Luis Segura Vilchis, Humberto Pro, and Juan Tirado Arias, all of whom were implicated in a failed attempt on the life of former Mexican president Álvaro Obregón, in November 1927. Also represented is Anacleto González Flores, a lawyer, active member of the member of the ACJM and founder of the UP, who was executed in Guadalajara. Images of priests and lay devotees active in Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Zacatecas are also present. In addition to portrait-style postcards, the collection contains photographic prints of the executions of the Pro brothers, Vilchis, and Arias as well as post-mortem images of Father Pro and the funeral procession accompanying the brothers' corpses.
Some of the photos in this collection also appear in the Cristero Rebellion Martyrs photo album, Department of Special Collections, Hesburgh Libraries of Notre Dame.
Some also appear in the Fondo Aurelio Acevedo Robles, housed at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Dates

circa 1926-1929

Language of Materials

Collection material in English and Spanish.

Conditions Governing Access

No access restrictions.

Extent

Overview

A collection of postcards and photographs of Cristero Rebellion (1926-1929) martyrs. Portrait-style images of high-profile martyrs, many of whom have been canonized or beatified by the Catholic Church, predominate, though the collection also includes images of executions and funeral processions.

Processing Information

Arranged and described 2017, by Erika Hosselkus. Finding aid 2017, by Erika Hosselkus.